Fading Lights
by Purplehood
Summary: Energon. The symbol of their mortality. The life blood of the subject's species. His species, perhaps, if you wanted to get technical. His blood, it could even be called. It was not as if he, as an individual, was somehow transcendent to its limitations. Shockwave conducts an experiment.


**A/N: For some strange reason I found myself wanting to write something with Shockwave... And the plot bunny became this.**

 **Universe: Prime or Comics... pre-earth**

 **Warnings: robot blood/gore, implied torture, experimentation**

 **No Pairings**

 **I don't own Transformers or any characters appearing in this chapter.**

 _Mortality_ … The word lodged itself into his mind, the reality of the matter sinking into his thoughts as he examined his servo.

The mech softly rubbed a thumb over his digits, feeling how the slick lukewarm fluid slipped through each one, the little streams illuminating the surface of his only palm with a sharp blue glow that contrasted the overall dimness of the room.

The scientist's gaze shifted from the hand down to the polished metal of the floor, where a luminous pool of the liquid had started to collect.

 _Energon._

The symbol of their mortality. The life blood of the subject's species. His species, perhaps, if you wanted to get technical. His blood, it could even be called. It was not as if he, as an individual, was somehow transcendent to its limitations.

The mech absently twitched his fingers, sending a few stray drops down to the already littered floor.

Nothing had changed as of yet; he could still feel his own fluids coursing throughout his frame, a testament to the temporality of his being. And the seemingly endless experiments had only resulted in a confirmation of what, perhaps, he already knew.

The mech forced himself away from his musings, turning back to face his most recent study suspended from the ceiling.

The figure was semi-conscious, on the verge of slipping into stasis as the pale orange-tinted helm sank ever downwards from its place on those drooping shoulders.

This subject was of the usual autobot breed that Shockwave had assumed as the norm for his experiments, most likely a scout or a low-ranking soldier. He had been making use of these would-be-threats ever since his leader had deemed the vehicons too essential to the Cause. That, and the fact that most of the former citizens of Iacon had already been utilized in the expansion of science.

And yet, Autobots were becoming less and less easy to attain.

Shockwave glared up at the twisted gash of metal that dared to hinder the experiment, the long fins that made up the sides of his head twitching slightly in aggravation.

"It was counterproductive to injure the subject," he abruptly stated, turning towards the dark vastness of his laboratory.

His large red optic zoned in on one point particularly as his words pierced into the silent gloom.

An unnatural stillness succeeded the sound, spreading across the room like a dark crawling hand while his words themselves went unheeded.

The scientist turned away, uninterested, and engaged himself in the preparation and restoration of the operation, just briefly casting a glance towards the captive autobot.

As long as the subject remained functional, he had little to worry about. A minor setback at most. The wound wasn't fatal, and the subject was too dazed to feel the bulk of the pain.

Shockwave wiped the blue fluid from his servo before approaching the main control panel, the soft clicks of his digits on the keys soon filling the air.

The subject dangled by its arms behind him, venting quietly as energon continued to drip down to the floor of the lab, one glowing drop after another contributing to the ever-extending puddle.

"Primus, you're a bore, Shockwave," a voice purred into existence, its defeated owner quietly slipping into the light.

The decepticon crawled across the room finally coming to a stop directly behind the scientist, highlights dancing over his reflective frame as he tilted his helm.

Shockwave didn't reply, nor did he turn to acknowledge the newcomer, as he continued his occupations in the concentrated silence of the laboratory.

"Oh, come on, Head-fins, can't a mech have any fun around here?" the intruder hissed through the thin mouth-guard that cloaked his frown.

The filer crossed his arms over his chest and glared in the direction of the scientist, still receiving no response. With a pout, he surrendered to his impulses and glanced down at his sharpened fingers, the blue stain of energon clinging to their tips.

The mech smiled, flexing the digits delicately before his visor. "Was bored to death."

"Illogical, to say the least, Vortex," Shockwave droned, finally turning to face the over-eager Combaticon, a half-obscured object held in his servo. "By injuring the prisoner, you placed the chances of experimental failure at an overall high. And your reasoning for your actions is purely irrational, _juvenile_ for lack of a better word."

The mech flicked a bit of the glowing liquid in the cyclops' direction. "Whatever." He turned, nothing in his stance suggesting even a pondering of his superior's accusation. "Should have asked before, but what are you working on?" the flier purred, clicking his claws against his armor plating.

Shockwave uncloaked his newest work, the syringe and its glowing contents illuminating his darkly painted hand. "Witness it if you desire."

Vortex scrutinized the needle with narrowed optics. "Should be interesting," he finally said before backing out of the way. "But when you're done-" The Combaticon left the sentence hanging; Shockwave and all his "logic" would be able to understand the indirect question.

"Indulge yourself if you must," the purple mech stated briefly before approaching the autobot, tool in hand.

At least, he reasoned, the spent experiment would keep the interrogator occupied. From behind him, Vortex admired the gleam of his claws in the light, a smile fixed on his unseen faceplate.

Shockwave watched as the dented autobot strained its neck up to focus in on the two decepticons, optics hazily tracking the scientist's movements as he approached. Perhaps the subject was not as unaware as he had previously determined.

Shockwave would have smiled if it had been possible.

Autobots never ceased to impress.

"Relax yourself. This will be brief," the cyclops promised as he used the tip of his weapon-arm to tilt the bot's helm back, and raised the vial to one of the neck cables.

The autobot made a weak attempt to slink away from the scientist, panting heavily as his body strained to react to the fear creeping through. Thankfully, the sedatives kept him from putting up too much of an opposition.

"Yes, relax. We'll talk later," Vortex hissed, gazing up longingly at the unfortunate prisoner. "I promise."

A shudder ran through the bot's frame as the liquid slowly sank in, a pained gasp escaping his lips as he began to feel the results taking place.

Shockwave retracted the needle, stepping back from the chained prisoner to watch.

"Hope you have a good story, 'Bot," Vortex continued to chatter, "I always love your faction's stories."

The subject's optics slowly onlined, too bright this time and flickering erratically as the chassis of the mech began convulsing in a struggle against whatever poison the scientist had injected.

The decepticon himself stood there, a barely definable tower of metal, watching as the nature of his experiment took form before him.

The concept of favoring one thing over another was petty at best. But if Shockwave was to be honest with himself, he found the grasp of control exhilarating if not enjoyable.

The autobot suddenly jolted forward with a cry, the energy bonds straining against their bases in the ceiling to handle the tension.

Vortex took a step back, arms crossed over his chest plate. "Your experiments never fail to be dramatic, Shocks'," he mumbled, though it was clear that the flier was bored with the situation.

Shockwave didn't move, his red optic only sweeping over the figure silently, as the subject's screaming lowered to groans, blue optics fading to grey.

"...Indeed," he spoke almost absentmindedly, the rush of anticipation quickly slowing in his mind as the autobot grew increasingly quieter.

Vortex hummed to himself in thought as he viewed the scene. "Strange."

Turning, the scientist summoned the holo-pad on his weapon-arm and raised it to scan the now still prisoner.

Whatever anticipation he had built up in his false fantasizing quickly left… along with that distasteful sense of hope he had been trying to keep at bay.

 _Failure_ wasn't something to be trifled with.

"What's the, um, how would you word it? Outcome?" Vortex chimed, trying to peer over the larger mech's shoulder.

Shockwave closed the readings, pushed his thoughts aside, and turned his helm to the rotor mech once more. "The results are… insufficient."

"Oh, that's unfortunate," came the reply, though the manner in which the interrogator shifted in place said otherwise, on his account at least. "Well if you're all done here, I'll see if he's got any useful info in that skull of his, probably the only thing he's good for now anyways."

Shockwave nodded slightly before turning towards the doors, ignoring the manner in which Combaticon flicked away the results as easily as he would a speck of rust.

This wasn't the end.

The experiment would continue...as soon as the resources made themselves available. And they would, soon enough.

Shockwave was a patient mech.

The scientist left the room without a word.

"What a creep," Vortex sighed, optics watching as the automated doors hissed closed and the room fell once more into silence. The mech skipped his way over to the failed experiment and leaned against a banister of some sort set up near the console. He tapped a claw against the round surface of the lid. "Guy needs to loosen up a bit, if you ask me," he continued, looking up. "A lot of people around here do."

The autobot continued to bleed.

 **A/N: Maybe this autobot will be saved; maybe not. Depends on if I continue.**

 **Thank you for reading!**


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